[LIB3575]North Dakota received eleven of the more than 1,800 libraries underwritten by Andrew Carnegie, three for its colleges and eight as public facilites. Of those eleven buildings, three were designed by architect William C. Albrant [1871-1905], the public libraries at Mayville (1900) and Valley City (1902), and the library at the Agricultural College (1905; now NDSU), all of them in the prevailing classical revival style. Taken together, they also represent a young architect's developing design capabilities. [SOURCE]
National Register of Historic Places details for this library, click here.
ALBRANT, William C. (1871-1905), an architect of Fargo, North Dakota, was born in Winchester, Ontario on 24 June 1871 and moved west after 1895 to briefly engage in farming activity before registering at North Dakota State University in the Division of Mechanical Arts (a forerunner of the School of Architecture at that institution). He opened his own office in Fargo, North Dakota in 1900, and obtained his first important commission in Canada in 1904 for the City Hall, MOOSE JAW, SASK. (Moose Jaw Times, 5 Jan. 1905). This imposing but somewhat eclectic work, with its domed tower, remained a distinctive civic landmark in that city for nearly a decade until the completion of the Post Office in 1913. Albrant also designed N.J. Porter's Photographic Studio, MOOSE JAW, SASK., (1905; altered), and was responsible for several major designs in Fargo including First Baptist Church (1904), the Normal School at Maryville State College (1904), and the Carnegie Library buildings at Fargo, Valley City and at Grandin, North Dakota. He died suddenly on 3 August 1905 at Fargo, N.D. (obituary in Fargo Forum, 3 & 4 Aug. l905; inf. from Ronald L.M. Ramsay, Fargo, N.D.). [Additional information provided by Bill Albrant]
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My grandfather was the architect on this building. You can email me at bill.albrant@gmail.com if you'd like additional information.
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